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Requesting toxicological specimens from tissue procurement organizations.

Robert S Trim¹, Jeff Jentzen, Genevieve Penn

¹From the *Operations, Midwest Division, RTI Biologics, Donor Services Division, Middleton, WI; †Autopsy and Forensic Services, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; and ‡Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office, Milwaukee, WI.

The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology

|November 8, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Proper handling of toxicology specimens by tissue bank technicians is crucial for accurate postmortem analysis. Ensuring technicians have documented training safeguards the integrity of toxicology results and legal chain of custody.

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Area of Science:

Forensic Toxicology
Medical Examiner Investigations
Tissue Banking

Background:

Postmortem toxicology analysis relies heavily on specimen quality.
Tissue and eye bank technicians often handle toxicology specimens before autopsy.
These technicians may lack specific training in toxicology specimen handling.

Purpose of the Study:

To examine the implications of tissue bank technicians collecting postmortem toxicology specimens.
To highlight potential issues in specimen acquisition, storage, and chain of custody.
To provide recommendations for improving practices in postmortem biological sample recovery.

Main Methods:

Review of current practices in medical examiner (ME) offices and tissue banks.
Analysis of the responsibilities and training of tissue recovery technicians.
Identification of potential conflicts and risks associated with pre-autopsy specimen collection.

Main Results:

Delegation of specimen handling to untrained technicians can compromise sample integrity.
Lack of documented training poses risks to chain of custody and toxicology results.
Collaboration between ME offices and tissue banks is essential but requires clear protocols.

Conclusions:

Standardized training for technicians on toxicology specimen handling is recommended.
Clearer protocols are needed for the acquisition, storage, and chain of custody of postmortem samples.
Addressing these issues is vital for reliable forensic toxicology outcomes.